Automobile for collecting and distributing.



M. B. CHURCH.

AUTOMOBILE FOR COLLECTING AND DISTRIBUTING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- M, I9I4.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

l vantage for house to house deliveries, mail MELVIN B. CHURCH, OF GRANDRAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

AUTOMOBILE FOB COLLECTING AND DISTRIBUTING. Y

Patented Jan. 2, rear.

Application filed llfiarch 14, 1914. Serial No. 824,770.

Automobiles for Collecting and Distribut-v ing, of which the followingis a specification. Y I

My invention comprises a peddling automobile, that is one which can beused to adcollections and the like, by one man who does the driving andthe foot work. This, so far as I am aware, has never been at temptedbefore, that is providing an automobile having means particularlydevised and arranged for this purpose; it having been necessary previousto my invention to send an operator and a foot-man to do such worktogether. v

One type of vehicle to which I apply my invention provides a veryp'racticabledust cart with which to collect the accumulated piles ofsweepings as usually left at the side of the street, or the garbage atevery house. Without this present invention added to an automobiledesigned for such work, two menhave been required, the one doing thework on foot and the other occupying the seat, or if one does the workhe must climb into the automobile after each stop, taking the usualposition on the seat in order to operate the controller and clutches and.to manipulate the steering means. With my invention herein-describedthe operator can stand on a side step at any convenient point, as on theside or at the front or rear of the machine and control the electricpower for the steering and pippelling front wheel or wheels from anyposition on the vehicle which may be preferred.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 a front view of avehicle embodying my invention.

By using my invention in the single traction wheel form, the wheel canbe readily deflected to any degree desired,- in fact it may be turned sofar around to the right or left that the' forward propelling motion willpropel the vehicle backward by deflecting the wheel all the way aroundwithin its supporting fork.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings the electric controller is indicated at 1in Figs. 1 and 2. This is arranged with a handle for convenientmanipulation from the seat and may be placed so, as to be reachedwithout difliculty from the sidestep at 2, on which the operator maystand and reach the switch readily to change the controller occasionallywhen the road may'require more or less power to propel the vehicle. Thestep is preferably arranged at the right hand side ofthe vehicle andnear its front and may be in the form of a running board.

In addition to the controller I provide a switch, as explained, at 3,between the controller and the motor driving the wheel 4 or wheels, as asupplemental stopping means adjacent to the standing or side position ofthe operator. The switch is closed when the vehicle is running and thevehicle may be stopped or started by opening or closing the switch forslow moving from house to house; the controller being set for slow speedadapted to such slow movingand to provide an amount of current adaptedfor the road conditions at the time. I i

In Figs. 1 and 2 I show the switch located on or in the rim of thesteering wheel 5. Instead of a switch a contact plug may be employed ora removable plug to operate the operator to drive the vehicle from aside position without necessity of occupying the seat or usual positionback of the operating devices.

The circuit connections being ordinary they will be clear from aninspection of the drawings but may be briefly stated as follows: From abattery 9 a wire 10 leads to the controller 1 which connects through theswitch 3 with the motor in or attached to the wheel. The circuit is frombattery 9 through the wire 10 to controller 1, through wire 11 to switch3 and through wire 12 to motor and through wire 13 back to the battery.When the controller "is set and the switch opened at 3 the circuit isbroken. The switch also serves as a safety means for cutting ofi' thecurrent in emergencies.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing the posltion of the traction wheel 4 andthe hand wheel '5 directly over the traction wheel for steercarryingload, preferably on steel tires, and high wheels, asvshown, constitutethe three wheel type. The front traction Wheel is mounted in a fork 6having a steering post .7 suitably mounted, preferably with ballhearings, in the frame of the vehicle.. This fork and post arepreferably inclined upwardly slightly toward the rear, and the fork'andstem are preferablystraight.

Directly on the steering post is the hand wheel 5. mately the samediameter as the traction wheel when used in this type 'for heavytrucking. The traction wheel 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has an electricmotor within it and preferably the motor and the transmission mechanismwithin the wheel are like that disclosed in Patent #856,943 to Churchand Knudsen and is known as the balanced couple-gear. motor from thebattery. A front seat for the driver is located at 8, Seated here he cangrip the wheel of the steering gear with both hands and exercise propercontrol upon the steering post by direct action thereon without theinterposition of gearing of any.

kind between the steering wheel and the steered power wheel.- By thismeans the operator always has the leverage parallel and straight infront of him, no matter in what position or degree of angle the steeredwheel may be deflected, and can regulate it by grasping the rim near toor farther from him to obtain greater or less purchase as may berequired where more-or less load is over the wheels or as the ground issoft or hard making the steeringmore or less difficult. With this meansand with the controller at hand to conveniently advance or cut down thecurrent simultaneously with and in proportion to the degree ofdeflection,

of the steered wheel, this steering by direct application .to thesteered power wheel by the driver can be accomplished readily, as I havefound in practice where the steered wheel and the load carried directlyover it amounts to more than a ton in weight.

When the electric vehicle has four wheels I use this switching controlsystem in such slow moving, as described, from house to house. I thenhave two front wheels to be driven by an electric motor within orconnected to them and mounted in the ordinary way for steering. I mayprovide an extra controller adjacent to a side. position, step 'orrunning board instead of the switch for some kinds of work, as forvery'uneven road surface which may require very frequent changing ofstrength of current, for such house to house stopping, in slowly. movingalong in such work, without occupying the This is preferably of approxition so that substantially the same result may be obtained, with someadded expense, that I .obtain in my system including .a switch betweenthe controller and motor as explained herein as one of the principalelements of this invention. I do not include with this applicationclaims for the duplicate, or shiftable controller system suggestedabove. I also arrange brake mechanism which is accessible either fromthe usual seat or from the side step, and while thi side step may bearranged in various pos ions and the brake mechanism may be of variousforms in the particular form illustrated, th1s comprises brake shoes as14 wlth connectlons toa foot lever 15 at the step and a foot lever usualseat. 4

In the foregoing specificatlon I have only mentioned battery power. Touse What IS 16 within reach of the driver when on the Current-issupplied to the known as the gas-electric means for driving automobiles,it 'is only necessary to run the wire connections from the generatorwhich, in such system, is usually on an engine shaft, to the controllerand through the switch, as described herein; the circult be- .ingoperated in the same manner'as I have described for the battery.

I claim as my invention: r 1.,In a peddling automobile, the comblnationof a frontmotor traction and steered wheel, the usual seat, a battery'orgenerator having circuit connection to the front wheel motor, a step orrest for the driver at a slde of the vehicle, a controller and swltchmeans betweenthe controller and front wheel motor for driving thevehicle at different Speeds or for stopping the vehicle, steermg means,said switch and steering means being withln reach of the. driver fromsaid step or rest.

2. In a peddling automobile, the COlIlblnation of a front motor tractionand steered wheel, the usual seat, a battery or generator, circuitconnections to the front wheel drive, a step or rest for the driver at aside of the vehicle, steering means,.brake means, means for controllingthe circuit to the front traction wheel, said steering means, brakemeans, and circuit controlling means being so arranged as to beaccessible from the usual seat and from the side step or'rest.

with the post andvmoving through angles corresponding to the diflerentangular positions of the self propelling wheel in steering,substantially as described.

4. In combination in a motor vehicle, a front propelling wheel carryingan electric motor, a swiveled fork for said wheel, a steering postextending up directly from the fork and axially of the swivel mountingof said wheel, steering means consisting of a wheel mounted directly onthe post, and an electric controller to control the current to saiddriving and steering wheel for fast or slow speed to accord with therate of deflection in steering, substantially as described.

In combination in a motor vehicle, a

- front propelling wheelcarrying a motor, a

swiveled fork in which said wheel is mounted, a steering post extendingup directly from the fork and axially of the swivel mounting of thefork, steering means consisting of a hand wheel mounted directly on thepost, an electric controller arranged adjacent the steering wheel tocontrol the current for fast or slow speed, and a side front step fromwhich the operator may manipulate the steering wheel and controller,substantially as described.

6. In combination in a motor vehicle, a front propelling wheel carryinga motor, a swiveled fork in which said wheel is mounted, a steering postextending up directly from the fork and axially of the swivel mounting,a steering wheel directly on the post, an electric controller forregulating the speed, and a switch in the rim of the steering wheel forslowly propelling the vehicle on one circuit predetermined by thecontroller, substantially as described.

7. A peddling automobile havin in combination a single frontselfpropelhng wheel carrying a motor within it, with a steering post anda steering wheel mounted directly on and coaxially with said post, aseat in rear of said steering Wheel, controlling means for the motor, aside platform or rest, said steering wheel and controlling means beingoperatively within reach of the driver from said seat or from said sideplatform or rest, and brake means having two members for operating thesame, one of said members being operatively within reach of the driverfrom the seat and the other member being operatively within reach of thedriver on the side platform or rest, substantially as described.

8. In a peddling automobile, the combination of a motor mounted thereon,a controller for said motor, a drivers seat in the usual relation to thecontroller, a stand or step for the driver, at the side near the frontof the vehicle, steering means accessible to the driver either from theseat or from the side step, and a brake operable by the driver thedriver either from the seat or side step,

and a brake, said controller and brake being operable from the usualseat and also from the step or stand, substantially as described. Intestimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MELVIN B. CHURCH. Witnesses:

WALTER DONALDSON, BENNETT S. JONES.

